Hollister
– Newly named Superintendent Stan Rose has just less than a
month before reporting for duty at San Benito High School, but says
he is anxious to dive in and looking forward to meeting students,
parents and educators at SBHS.
Hollister – Newly named Superintendent Stan Rose has just less than a month before reporting for duty at San Benito High School, but says he is anxious to dive in and looking forward to meeting students, parents and educators at SBHS.
“I believe that building personal relationships with people helps everybody to build a sense of connection and common vision,” he said. “And I’m excited about building those relationships at San Benito High School.”
Rose, 56, was introduced as the school’s new superintendent at Thursday night’s Board of Trustees meetings prior to a small reception for educators and members of the public to meet him. Rose currently serves as Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources at Morgan Hill Unified School district, a fairly large district comprising nine elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, a continuation high school and a community adult school.
“Districts like Morgan Hill … are considered medium-size districts, and I enjoy working in those districts because you can get a lot done,” he said. “It’s always hard to move a bigger group of people.”
Rose said his decision to become an educator was prompted largely in part by a conversation he had as a young man with his father, a World War II veteran who had had to quit school to serve his country.
“He said to me that he thought teaching was a great profession,” Rose said. “And that if he had the chance to do things over again, that’s what he would like to do – and he really got me thinking.”
After receiving his bachelor’s from the University of Portland, Rose moved forward to Lewis and Clark College for his teaching credential.
“I remember he (a professor) did everything he could to discourage me,” he said. “He told me there were two teachers for every job right now, and that I’d never make a lot of money in this business. And I told him, ‘But I feel this is something I really want to do,’ so he said, ‘Well if that’s how you feel, then you should do this.'”
Rose’s first teaching job was in St. Helens, Ore., where he taught social studies and language arts at the junior high level – not always the easiest group of students to work with.
“I really grew to love the junior high level students,” he said.
The switch from teacher to administrator was hardly a drastic one, Rose said.
“I just kept on wanting to take on more and more responsibility, starting with coaching sports,” he said. “So it was more of a natural evolution.”
Rose said his decision to work for SBHS hinged largely on the educators already working there, as well as an opportunity to effect change.
“I was excited to work with this group of people,” he said. “And it’s really a beautiful community.”
Among Rose’s priorities for SBHS in the coming years are balancing the district’s budget and promoting student achievement, he said.
“We want to move our students forward, and that’s something a lot of people talk about, but to be successful our students need access to all the opportunities available to them,” he said. “And if that includes going to college, that’s great; let’s make sure they have access to the finest colleges. And if it doesn’t, we need to focus on closing that achievement gap so that all students have those options.”
Rose also said he valued the high school’s special place in the heart of the community at large.
“I understand that this school is a very important part of the community. Already I’ve run into someone here who came up to me and said ‘Congratulations on your new job – I’m a ‘Baler,'” he said. “People tend to feel very connected to their school, and I believe it’s important for us to continue to foster that.”
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected].
